04-04-2014, 02:26 PM
11
Re: Wrong Side of Road
I was driving my family down to the south of France back in the 70s behind a friend of mine who also had his family with him. He kept sticking his arm out of the car window and pointing into the fields. I couldn't see what he was pointing at. A few miles down the road we stopped for a pee break and it was then that he told me what it meant.. Drive on the right!!
04-04-2014, 02:27 PM
12
Re: Wrong Side of Road
I haven't driven on the 'wrong' side since I left the UK. As someone else noted the only time it is a problem is where nature/habit take its course ie a roundabout or after turning a corner you naturally tend to head for the left.These days the only regular foreign driving I do is in Malaysia and Thailand where they drive on the left anyway.
Luckily we have these handy signs to remind us which side to drive, alas the only people likely to need reminding probably can't read them but that's Australia for you.
04-04-2014, 02:31 PM
13
Re: Wrong Side of Road
Originally Posted by ZsaZsa
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I've been driving on the "wrong side" of the road for the past 14 years and its no different to driving on the "right side" .... you just do everything the opposite way round. The most difficult thing I found to get used to when I had my first Hungarian car, was having to change gear with my right hand and not my left!
04-04-2014, 02:59 PM
14
Re: Wrong Side of Road
Originally Posted by AutumnColour
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Have you ever been to a country where the driving was opposite of what you're used to?Did you have any 'near misses' either in a car yourself or walking?
Not me, as the furthest I've ever been out of Ontario was Buffalo, NY ha ha.
We drive on the same side.
I went on a tour to Egypt several years ago. They don't drive on either side of the road - but straight down the middle. Although we were on large buses, every journey was a 'white knuckle' ride.
04-04-2014, 03:22 PM
15
Re: Wrong Side of Road
Originally Posted by EZ Rider
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I hired a car in Malta some years ago and the car hire guy said "Don't worry about driving on the left or the right, we Maltese drive in the shade" Very disconcerting I thought.
They do, so I did too in 1998.
As for foreign countries, I worked in the Middle East and Europe and they all drive on the opposite side to us but I had no problems adapting, apart from who gives way etcetera - nightmare at times!
The only problem I had was in1979 I was back in the UK and driving a hired car - on the wrong side, at night!
It felt so natural after so long that it didn't dawn on me until someone tooted so I moved over, mumbling things about their parentage, intelligence and orifices - as you do! stevmk2
04-04-2014, 03:59 PM
16
Re: Wrong Side of Road
I am used to switching between Europe and the UK , it seems I am programmed into the fact I will be sitting in the other seat (Hire Car) . What does give apoplexy is the French Priorité ŕ droite - the old French system was to give priority to all traffic coming from the right. This still applies at unmarked crossroads in the countryside, in small villages, as well as minor streets inside cities, etc. Most other road crossings have some kind of priority system implemented. Yellow lozenge signs indicate that your road is prioritary (all other roads must yield); a yellow lozenge with a bar shows ends this .To be driving at the max on some departmental road , miles from anywhere, and suddenly a mechanised tin shed pulls straight out in front of you causing you to dive your number plate into the road. They consider this to be normal.
05-04-2014, 01:22 PM
19
Re: Wrong Side of Road
Originally Posted by Curmudgeon
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I am used to switching between Europe and the UK , it seems I am programmed into the fact I will be sitting in the other seat (Hire Car) . What does give apoplexy is the French Priorité ŕ droite - the old French system was to give priority to all traffic coming from the right. This still applies at unmarked crossroads in the countryside, in small villages, as well as minor streets inside cities, etc.
There are still people here who think that the rule at roundabouts is give way to the right and drive accordingly (the actually rule is give way to any vehicle ON the roundabout)
Every state had different road rules and it was only in 1999 that all the states and territories agreed to a nationwide set of base rules however on top of these rules every state manages to fiddle with something!
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